The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-08-26
a FINE WINGED RACER.
Death Of n Carrier Pigeon That Had Ma.
an ExceIient Record.


| Death OF n Carrier Pigeon That Had Made
an ExceIient Record.
A carrier pigeon was found dead In
a farm yard at Chester. Va. not long
ago. The finder did not know carrier
from any other kind Of pigeon, but as
he was idly examining the bird he
noticed little tag attached to the
feathers. On this was written these
| figures: 0563. and the words, IF caught
| or shot. report this number to Starr,
New York. IL was a good deal of
mystery still TO the finder, but after
! speaking to few friends about it. he
found one who knew that the bird was
a carrier and had been sent out on a
race. A message was accordingly sent
TO starr. New York as requested on
the tag. s.Starr, New York. - is a little
woman who devotes herself to the inter
ests of pigeon flying. and keeps the run
Of about all the birds in this country
To find her one has TO climb four dark
flights to the top of rickety old build
ing at the corner OF Cortlandt and
Washington streets. As she Is an en-
thusiast upon the subject. visitors who
want To learn any thing about pigeons
find a ready welcome and no little in
| formation
All pigeon flyers. and their number
is increasing every year. send her ac-
counts of their birds. and in the event
of a race the birds themselves are some
times sent also to be registered. But
rs rule she is notified as soon as a
bird is hatched. and she makes such
entries in her ponderous record books
as fix tina. birds identity until he dies
of old age or bv a shot from a careless
hunter. When she received word that
056S had been picked up dead, she
referred to her books and found that
one of the most remarkable birds in
the land had been lost To be sure.
all the pigeon flyers had given this bird
up months ago. for she Tad not been
heard of since last Ocfobs-, but no one
knew what became of hlm The bird
was owned by VIM. Bennett, of Newark,
n J.. one of the centers o. pigeon flying
interest. The bird had not been
named. II was blue male and was
hatched in the spring os 1886. It had
been in three races. in one of which il
was among the six that made the best
record to Newark. and the feat was
second only to the best young fiy bird
in America The best record was made
by Philadelphia pigeons in 1888. In
the case of 0563 the start was made at
Liberty. Va. from which place ~
Newark it is 36s miles. air line The
birds were liberated at twenty-fiys
minutes past six on the morning of
October 1, 1886. and the first bird to
report at its loft in Newark arrived at
fourteen minutes past four p. m. of the
same day. A few minutes later o5s3
came in, and his average speed for the
journey was 1.099 Yards minute
About week later this bird. with three
others. WAS taken TO Morgantown.
n. c.. 527 miles from home None of
them was heard from until Mrs. Starr
learned the death of 0563.
Mrs Starr thinks that pigeon flying
has come to be q standard genflemen's
sport in America At present the
amusement is free from all objections
Bile features, and as each year passes
Improvements ar. made in the method
of keeping the records of the birds.
New books have reen opened this spring.
which in few years will be of great
value to lovers CT the sport. for thev
viii contain the minutest details of all
birds that live long enough to make
record in a race. But the most inn
portant change this season is in the
device for marking the birds 1t was
formerly done by marking the feathers
and attaching tag. but henceforth :
light seamless band of silver-plated
nickel viii be put around the birds leg.
headquarters having different numbe
inscribed on it The band is slippss
over a pigeons foot as soon as il
hatched. and so rapidly do the birs!
grow that in eight days the band coul,
neither be removed nor similar on
put on. Yet it is never too small foi
the leg. and in no way does il act L.
the discomfort of the flyer. Speaking
the general subject of pigeon flying.
Mrs. Starr said:
Il think you would be surprised if you
the actual work of carrying messages.
A great many men in all of the large
cities take birds with them to their
offices. and at some period of the day.
when they have occasion TO send word
home, they attach message to the
pigeon and release it. But / suppose
that the principal incentive to the culti-
vation of message birds is for racing.
Although young birds. those Matched
within the year. often make good
records. / am inclined to think that
pigeon does not become fully mature
until it is ten years old. They then
seem to have the maximum of sense
and speed. In this country we have
a great deal of trouble with hunters
If they would only let the birds alone,
we should lose very few from any other
causes. Pigeons are on record that
have won races at the age of twenty
In Belgium a great deal of attention is
paid TO flying. and the birds are highly
cultivated and live to considerable
age. IN Y. Sun
A Very Good Reason.